Android 3.0 to be ready for tablets in December. HTC’s tablet may be delayed

According to Taiwanese sources quoted by DigiTimes, Google has recently notified hardware partners that Android 3.0 is close to be completed, and tablet engineering samples based on it would show up starting December this year.

Reportedly, Android 3.0 tablets should be announced in January 2011 during CES.

Note that Android 3.0 is likely not Android Gingerbread, as thought before. Gingerbread seems to be just a small update to 2.2 Froyo – thus another 2.x version – and it’s probably really close to being launched as we speak. If that’s the case, Android 3.0, which should be out early next year, would be the rumored Honeycomb.

Phandroid has it that some of the new stuff Android Gingerbread will come with include built-in video chat support, and a graphical overhaul that makes the OS look simpler and cleaner.

Of course, for the moment only Andy Rubin and other folks who work on Android know the exact codenames of the platform’s future iterations. Speaking of which, Android 4.0 is also mentioned by DigiTimes – apparently, it’s scheduled to be released in the second half of 2011. I really don’t think Android 4.0 will come that soon, though.